


Not Set in Stone

by Melethril



Series: Men Out of Time [3]
Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Civil War (Marvel), Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Sad, Tag to the upcoming Civil War II (Marvel), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark has had enough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 21:36:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6924364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melethril/pseuds/Melethril
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is hard to imagine that Tony is ready to go through this twice; especially given the cost last time.<br/>(inspired by spoilers for the Marvel: Civil War II comic series coming out this year)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Set in Stone

**Author's Note:**

> There is not much to say. I read about another Civil War II coming up, again with Tony and Steve on different sides. Steve has lost his life - which is a big price - but, from what I read, he comes back and everything is fine for him - he's the ultimate good guy, but Tony? Tony has to deal with the guilt for something he does not remember doing (and I could write whole essays about the issues I have with this).  
> I just cannot imagine that he has the heart to lead one side of another war. 
> 
> This story was also inspired the Civil War movie and by a conversation I had with my sister who is Team!Cap where she stated that it was time for Tony to retire. I actually agree with her on this, but for different reasons => "You never know what you had until it's gone' is my reasoning why I want Tony to call it quits (at least temporarily).

**Not Set in Stone**

He may not be able to look into the future, but he was pretty damn good at predicting it; better than most. However, that being said, you could only try to prepare for the future, but ultimately there was no way to be absolutely sure that what you predicted would actually happen. Even if you could actually see the future, there was no guarantee that choices made along the way did not skew what you saw and whether your emotions tainted the images in your head.

Tony had learned this the hard way. The whole debacle with SRA and how his actions had cost him every good thing that ever happened to him; he had predicted what would happen to them if they did not sign the accords. However, he had later seen what could have been. At least, he had been able to reconstruct that much after his memory loss. He still did not remember; he just knew his former friends no longer trusted him; he knew they had every right to be angry. He knew he had been the villain.

He would never act in the name of the future again and that included arresting people for crimes they might commit. He stood against the idea, and he knew that this time his friends would back him up. He just knew it. Steve so deeply believed in freedom and the right to choose. He who had actually seen his world’s future and had seen what a fragile thing it was. He who had paid with his life for the folly of a pretentious futurist believing to know better than everybody else ( _Not worth it_ )… This time, his former best friend, dear colleague and team leader would stand by his side. Tony Stark would not end up alone even if he lost.

He looked into the mirror and smiled.

* * *

The lines were drawn once more.

Tony had trouble breathing. He had been so sure ( _Steve, Rhodey, Clint, why?_ ). Once again, he would end up as the villain with the best of intentions he just knew it.

If anything, this whole mess simply demonstrated just how unreliable the future was; and how bad he was at predicting it.

“Anybody want to say something before we do this?”

Tony was not sure who asked.

“Iron Man, Disassemble,” he whispered into the quiet that followed.

The suit broke into pieces, leaving him vulnerable and small in the midst of superhumans. He had never felt weak in their presence before, but now…

“I don’t agree,” he continued, his voice firm and strong, but he could feel the sounds crack in his throat. “I don’t. We cannot punish people for things they may or may not do. We do not have that right. But…” ( _their glares, their mistrust, their hatred; he could not take it again_.) “I surrender. I am Tony Stark, civilian. I hereby renounce any claim I have on anything. The Iron Man suit will be destroyed together with all the specs. I… can’t do this anymore.”

He had always walked the tightrope of villainy and heroism. He had fallen off the rope several times. He would not do this again. His future only held death and destruction. He did not need overpowered fortunetellers to tell him that. After all, the best way to predict the future was still to take a close look at the past. His friends had taught him that. Unlike everybody else in Tony’s life before the emergence of Iron Man, these people around him had never let him get away with anything, and they had forced him to face the consequences of his past actions, so he would not repeat mistakes in the future.

Fact remained that he had fallen off the rope and he would do so again unless he did something about it.

It was time for Tony Stark to step down and walk away.

He did just that.


End file.
